


Cinderella and The Hood

by Kazumi96



Series: Jasonverse [1]
Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: F/M, Wayne Manor, gala - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-08-06 15:30:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16390340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kazumi96/pseuds/Kazumi96
Summary: Dress and shoes images:http://www.ifitshipitshere.com/finished-designer-cinderella-glass-slippers/https://ar.pinterest.com/pin/458522805802880519/





	1. Its Raining Men (literally...)

 

 

It was one of those really shitty days, when you wished you had just turned off your alarm and slept those much needed minutes before the idea of going to class disappeared from your mind. But then again, your ‘responsible side’ ignored all those sings and got you out of bed to prepare yourself for the day.

Unfortunately, the day didn’t get any better. After taking a quick shower and then having a few minutes to do your make up and get dressed, you rushed out of the house with your tea mug and a loaf of bread in your mouth without checking to see what the weather would have installed for you. Big mistake.

Class that day was boring but mandatory non the less, if you wanted to get your degree and have the possibility of making a living as a psychologist, first you had to endure the 52 PowerPoint slides of names from different psychopharmaceuticals, each one different from the other and non of them easy to remember.

Afterwards, you head to your part time job as a waitress in a cafe near campus, after all, the bills of your apartment and college expenses weren’t going to pay themselves. It wasn’t so bad though, the hours were flexible and on the plus side, free coffee and pastries whenever you wanted wasn’t an everyday occurrence. Still, there were some days (didn’t happened often) where you wished you could have called in sick or something in order to avoid situations like this.

It all began when you started to close the shop, when out of the blew, it began to pour outside. Heavy rain accompanied by thunder hailed down on the street, washing away all the grim and trash into the sewers along the roads, people started running in a effort to escape the rain, pointless to say, they were still soaked from head to toe.

 

-Damn it…-Knew not checking the weather before leaving would come and bite me in the ass.

I grab my purse and jacket and try to pull it all the way up in order to shield me from the inpendable down pour, but as soon as i get out of the shop i know that is going to be a pointless action.

 

Fortunately, work is just a couple of blocks away from your apartment but with all the raining and the shoving of incoming people desperate to get away from it, by the time you reach your door you’re soaking wet and cold to the bones. As you start searching your purse for your keys, the sound of rattling and shoving coming from the alley right next to your building calls your attention. You stare at the opening of the alley, waiting to see a cat or a rat crawl out from one of the dumpsters when all of a sudden you see him.

Tall, broad shouldered figure creeps out of the alley, bracing one hand on the edge of the wall while his other grasp his side. He is all over the place, walking erratically and without balance, like a drunk man dressed in what you can make out to be military combat outfit and a red helmet; which is weird because what kind of person would wear a full faced helmet, in the middle of the night and with such heavy rain?

You watch him walk a few more steps before he falls with a grunt face first into the ground. Before you can even think about what it is your doing, your running towards him and kneeling on the ground…right next to a pool of blood.

 

-Oh God, are you ok? Can you hear me? - you say as you try to turn him on his back.

 

The street had poor light and with all the raining coming down there was little visibility, but what you saw will forever stay in your mind. Blood was everywhere, staining the street and your clothes, and it was all coming from a oozing wound on his lower abdomen. It was hard to see what kind it was due to the heavy armor he was wearing, but what called your attention in that moment was the bright red bat symbol resting on his chest.

You had been living in Gotham for some time now to be familiarized with the cities eccentricities, but never in a million year would you have guessed that you would get to meet one of the famous crime fighting vigilantes that roamed the city at night wearing bat costumes and saving the innocents; let alone under this circumstances.

Another moan of pain pulled you out of your thoughts and back into the cold weeping reality of the situation at hand. Right…injured bloodied guy, possible vigilante, bleeding to death on my front door, not good.You had to think fast in order to save his life, so in a flash(‘really? Now of all times your using superhero puns?’) you took out your scarf and wrapped it around his torso the best you could and made a tight knot on the wound. Thank God you took that ‘Emergency 101’ course at school when you thought about becoming a doctor (or just for the sake of skipping math class). After securing the knot tight to his chest and hearing another sound of pain (Good, at least his responsive enough to pain, oh please God don’t let him die here), you grab him underneath his arms and start pulling him towards the entrance of your building(Good God! Weight much pal? What do these guys eat?).

After what you feel like an odyssey to get him inside your building, call for the elevator and hope that none of your heedless neighbors is in it, then getting him inside your apartment trusting that if someone does come out, they will just think your carrying a very drunk friend towards your flat,  you finally manage to drop him on the floor of your ‘living room’ (its more like a TV area, with just a couch and a bookshelf on one of the walls).

Panting, you get to work on finding that first aid kit your mom made you buy when you first moved in, because she had the foresight to see that one day it might actually come in handy (Thanks mom and your incredible six sense). Once you have it, you rush again towards the sleeping (nearly dead) man on your floor and get to work on trying to pull up his armor to no avail, the thing is like a second skin.

-Ah shit, screw it I’m cutting this-but before you get the chance to pull the scissors out, a hand suddenly grabs your wrist and pulls you down face to face with a knife to your throat.

-Who are you? - Comes a grumbling voice from the man underneath you.

It takes a minute for the adrenaline to overpower your fear and quickly blurt:

-I’m (Y/N), look i found you unconscious and bleeding on the street outside my apartment, I brought in so that you wouldn’t bleed to death, and that was no mere task might i add, for you weighted a tone. And to top it all of, im soaking wet myself and positively freezing and exhausted from a 6 hour shift i just had and then this big vigilante dude decides to just ‘drop by’ and-you answer, each time more and more angry with the whole situation.

-Stop it! - he said clutching your wrist harder- I suggest you stop blabbering and tell me what you were doing before I pull my knife on your throat.

At that he emphasized his point but pressing the cold side of the blade against your throat, making it harder for you to swallow without worrying about possible just cutting yourself with it.

-Look, i was just trying to help ok? I saw a wounded, unconscious person on the street and I just rushed in to help, only to get a knife to my throat. So excuse me for trying to help your sorry ass!

-So then why didn´t you call the cops or an ambulance?-comes a equally angry response from bellow you.

-Excuse me?-you snapped angrily

-Why didn’t you call for help? How do you know that im not going to just kill you right now?

‘What a ungrateful jackass’, you think, ‘I risked a pneumonia and a possible spine injury just carrying him here and all he has to say is this? Worst. Day. Ever’. But as some of your adrenaline induced state begins to dissolve, you wonder, why didn’t you call the cops? Every second that passes you start to realize…you just brought a helmet-masked man with a bleeding wound into your apartment in the middle of the night because of what…a ‘hunch’ that he is on the good side because of the bat symbol on his chest? For all you know, he could be a criminal dressed as one of the good guys in order to gain sympathy from unsuspecting victims and kill or steal from them.

Yet, there was this feeling in your gut that told you otherwise, that same feeling that drove you to blindly help this man that was now about to carve a line from ear to ear in your throat.

-I don’t know, it was just a feeling. You were going to die if I left you outside on this weather, and personally, i didn’t want to have that on my consciousness.- you say bitterly. 

There’s silence for a moment, only the sounds of the raindrops outside colliding in the windows and the strained breathing coming from the guys helmet filled the void in between you two, until a robotic laugh breaks the ice spell:

-You saved me, based on a ‘feeling’? I don’t know if you’re just brave or naively stupid.

-As of 5 minutes ago, i think im a bit of both.

He laughs again and then releases your wrist in an effort to push himself up with a groan and takes a sitting position with his back resting on the back of the couch. ‘Damn it, blood stains are gonna be hell to get out if that thing’ comes to your mind as he starts to unfasten the latches on the side of his armor.

The thing makes some robotic like sounds before a hiss is heard and the top layer come loose to reveal a tight black shirt that can only be described as two sizes to short for his body, or maybe his body is far to big for any XL shirt to fit that much muscles. But before your mind can descend any more towards your kink for muscles, you see the wound on his lower abdomen oozing blood still.

-Shit…-you say and quickly pick up gauze and put your hands on the wound to exert pressure.

-Ah! Jeez, warn a guy first before putting your hands on him.

-Im sorry, i just…it’s instinct.

Silence evolves both of you again for some time, until you come to realize just how close you both are. From this distance, you can now feel his chest rising and falling every time he tries to breathe through the helmet, how some of the imperceptible electronic gears from it are now turning and clicking every now and then, but what really calls your attention is his heartbeats, pounding strong and rhythmically inside his chest. It had a hypnotic effect, lulling you to calmness, making you fell safe and at ease somehow. 

All of a suddenly, the spell was broken by the sound of his distorted voice coming from the helmet:

-Why instincts?

-Im sorry?

-You said you acted on instincts, that you saved me from bleeding out on the streets because of a feeling…why?

It took a moment for you to put your ideas back together to form a coherent yet reasonable answer:

-Where i come from, treatment for these kinds of wounds isn’t unusual. I mean; not the whole ‘vigilante drops nearly dead on my front door’, but the wounds. I used to volunteer to work the graveyard shift at a local hospital so i treated almost every kind of wound there is.

-So you’re a doctor then.

-Actually no, i mean in not ‘a doctor’ but at the same time i know the job. I never went to Meds School, my family didn’t have the money to support me through college, and so everything I know I learned it from my uncle since I was little. He was the doctor, but he then got sick, one of those ‘one in a million with no cure known yet’ cases with a life expectancy of only two years. He ended up living five more and during those days i would always try to help him in anyway that i could, by changing bandages or stuff.  

At this point, your voice broke and your vision became blurry for a moment before pulling yourself together and finding the strength to keep on going.

-That’s why i decided to study psychology, in order to better help people and not just cure them. And to also really listen to them and not just they’re aches and symptoms, offer them another course of treatment, something that can deal with both the body but also the mind. That and the fact that my uncle used to say i was a really good listener of people, knew what they needed even before they asked for it. 

The sounds of the rain engulf you again for some minutes, until he slowly puts his hand on top of your and his wound.

-I think the bleedings stop now

-Hm-hm… yeah i think so too-you say clearing out your throat.

Slowly you remove your hands and prepare to start stitching the wound up. Meanwhile, the masked man just sits perfectly still and quiet, but you have a feeling that behind that helmet, he is watching your every move like a hawk.

 

After the stitching is done and you have dressed the wound (God can this guy really tolerate pain), you move the used bandages and utensils towards the bathroom in order to properly sterilize and get rid of them.

When you make your way back into the TV room, the guy is gone. ‘I was gone for like, 5 minutes?!’ , you search your room and kitchen for anything that’s missing or out of place. Front door was locked and even if he had opened one of the windows, there would be signs of the rain from outside, but there was nothing, it was as if the whole thing had just been a dream or something. The only sign that he had been there was the blood stain at the back of the couch from his wound.

I sit on the couch and just take a breather, adrenaline is no longer pumping through my blood stream and sleep is starting to take a hold now. Just what kind of day did i just have?

Few minutes pass in which you just sit around and listen to the rain pouring outside, few thunders rage every now and then but it all just soothing, almost like a natural lullaby. Your almost asleep when all of a sudden, a chime wakes you up. Takes a minute to register the sound comes from your phone in the small table next to the couch, practically forgotten during the whole ordeal.

You grab it and check the message that came in, its probably just your mom wanting an update on your life (which you were not about to just text her ‘oh yeah everything’s ok, i just helped some wounded superhero into my apartment, stitched him up and then he just hoodinied himself out without me noticing’).

But then you freeze. The caller’s ID name is someone you did not know, and you most certainly never saved.

_ Text from Red: _

**_-Don’t fall asleep on the couch, you’ll catch a cold. You should know better than that ‘doctor’. Thnx for your help, hope to see you around. Red_ **

-Chesus Freaking Crist! - you say with a startle that causes you to nearly drop to the floor.

You read the text a couple a hundred times again and again, trying to determine if this is some sort of prank from some very elaborate tv show that specializes in gaging people in public.

Once that is settled, you debate whether or not you should answer the text. You didn’t even know who he was, just that he may have some sort of connection to the bat vigilantes and that he had some impressive muscles. After pacing around the whole apartment three times, you finally settle with a simple answer:

_ Text from (Y/N): _

**_-Since when do you input your number on someone elses phone without their permission? Isn’t that an invasion of privacy?_ **

5 minutes later comes the answer _:_

 _ Text from Red _ **_:_ **

**_-I thought we were past the whole ‘privacy’ thing, after all, you did invite me into your apartment._ **

_ Text from (Y/N): _

**_-That was only because you were injured and knocked out on the street!_ **

_ Text from Red: _

**_-So you’re saying that you would do that with every other guy that you find just laying on the floor of your street?_ **

_ Text from (Y/N): _

**_-Don’t twist my words around! And besides, you just left without saying a word!! And how the hell did you get out of here without opening the door or the windows? How do i know you’re not just some ghost that will come back haunt me?_ **

_ Text from Red: _

**_-Kudos to your creativity there, but I’m very real. So real in fact it seems like you’re already missing me._ **

_ Text from (Y/N): _

**_-Im going to bed now, be sure to drink lots of water and change the bandage every 6 hours, also don’t forget to take antibiotics to prevent an infection._ **

_ Text from Red: _

**_-Will do doc._ ** **_Sleep tight!_ **

****

That’s the end of the conversation, when you finally decide to make yourself ready for bed, the shower this time will be longer, you deserve it after the day you’ve had.

Once in bed, you’re about to turn off the lights when you decide to make a final check to see if ‘ _Red’_ texted you again. And he had, just not something you wanted to know:

 

_ Text from Red: _

**_-PS: Your cursing is really cute._ **

****

That night you went to bed using your comforter as a cocoon.

 

 

 


	2. The Invitation & the Fairy Godfather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dress and shoes images:  
> http://www.ifitshipitshere.com/finished-designer-cinderella-glass-slippers/  
> https://ar.pinterest.com/pin/458522805802880519/

 

Weeks pass and life regains its monotonous rhythm again. You wake up, go to class (trying not to fall asleep), then go to work were you have to endure the entourage of high school girls order the most absurd mixture of drinks, and shots and sugar along with ‘not non-fat milk’. Still, they could afford to pay all those extra greasy sugary drinks so basically, they were your best costumers.

After work, you would return to your apartment, grab a quick shower and prepare something easy for dinner, study today’s lecture and try to read something in advance for the future, go to bed and restart all over again the next day.

Life was _almost_ back to normal…except for the fact that a couple of weeks ago, you had a vigilante by the name ‘ _Red’_ (which you later figured out was short for the RED HOOD) in your apartment, almost bleed out to death right next to your old couch (which the next day was replaced by a brand new, courtesy of a ‘Mr. Reddington’), and ever since then you had both been exchanging texts.

The first few days was hard to get used to the fact that you were actually talking to some masked man who ran around Gotham at night, dressed in some badass costume ‘taking names and kicking butts’ for a living. That, and the fact that he seemed to know everything about what happened to you, even before you talk to him about it (‘ _comes with the job, sugar_ _’_ he had told you once).

Most of the times the conversations were pretty normal, just talking about each others day, laughing at some very lame jokes he cracked every now and then, but there were sometimes in which the other end of the line would go silent for days, no matter how many ‘are you ok?’ you sent. He always came back though, made some remark about bad cell reception or something and then move on to some other conversation.

Still, the question would always linger in the back of your mind, that sense of ‘something’s not entire right here’ would not leave you alone. It was worrying, but then again, if he was in this type of job he was bound to have his own demons and secrets of his own, ones that you were not entitle to know about, after all you were just some girl that happened to stitch him up on a rainy day. There really wasn’t any kind of commitment or arrangement in between you two and that was okay with you (yeah right…).

Non the less, it comes as a surprise to you when one day, while inspecting your mail box for those unwanted (yet sometimes useful) Chinese menus, you find a white envelop with your name and address written in some fancy fountain pen writing. Quickly ascend the three flights of stairs (waiting for the elevator wasn’t an option) you lock yourself inside your apartment, take a seat in the new couch and carefully open the delicate golden wax seal with the letter ‘W’ pressed into it. Inside there’s a black letter with silvery embroidery on the sides that reads: 

 

 

> _The honor of your presence is requested at the Anual Masquerade Ball on Friday, Twelve of October 2018, at eight-thirty in the evening at the Wayne Manor, Gotham City._
> 
> _RSVP to Alfred Pennyworth by September 28th_
> 
> _xxx-xx009_
> 
> _Evening dress (Black tie)_

 

After reading the invitation three times, you are convinced they had the wrong address. This was all way above your pay grade to even attend such an extravagant event, (let alone have anything to wear) and even if the invite was real, you had no idea who could have sent it. Clearly none of your friends did, they were all pretty much on the same boat as you ‘no money to spend on ourselves until graduation day’. That left your family, which unless you had a distant relative of whom which you knew nothing about and is actually a millionaire, then that was a not an option.

A chime from your phone called your attention away from your Clue induced state to find out who the mystery behind who invited you to this ball. And as if on cue, the perpetrator makes him known:

_ Text from Red Ridding Hood: _

**_-Did you get the invite?_ **

_ Text from (Y/N): _

**_-Seriously, how do you do that? I’ve searched the entire place for bugs and came out empty._ **

**_-And yes, i got the ‘invite’, just one question: when you were laying half dead on my couch did you by any chance came around some sort of cash bag or something valuable that made you think i could even afford to go on a party like this? Because if you did, the PLEASE tell me where it is because I’ve been looking for it for 4 ½ years!!_ **

_ Text from Red Ridding Hood: _

**_-Ha ha ha… and here i thought i was supposed to make the bad jokes, guess its contagious now!_ **

_ Text from (Y/N): _

**_-Ok, but seriously now…A Wayne gala? How do you even know them? They’re supposed to be one of the founder families in Gotham, and by definition, one of the wealthiest. Do i even wanna ask how you got this invitations?_ **

_ Text from Red Ridding Hood: _

**_-Calm down, okey? Just take this as a thank you gift_ **

_ Text from (Y/N):  
_ **_-THIS is a ‘Thank you gift’? Boy do i wanna know what kind of gift you’ll be giving me for my b-day._ **

_ Text from Red Ridding Hood: _

**_-Cute baby girl, but for real. I never got the chance to properly thank you for saving my life the other day, and im known to keep my debts in check, so im offering you a night of fun and a lot of expensive booze and food all free of charge._ **

__

__

_ Text from (Y/N): _

**_-And i really appreciate your gift, it’s just…this is too much for me. I mean, i would love to go and enjoy a night of partying and stuff but i have to study for finals and i have a project due monday and-_ **

_ Text from Red Ridding Hood: _

**_-Stop putting up excuses, i know your finals are not for another three weeks and you finished that project yesterday, and besides, its good to relax onces in a while ‘doctor’ or else the stress is gonna kill you._ **

_ Text from (Y/N): _

**_-Seriously, how do you know all this?! Its becoming really frustrating…_ **

_ Text from Red Ridding Hood: _

**_-I told, comes with the job_ **

**_-Anyway if what you’re worried about is ‘what am i going to wear?’, its already covered._ **

_ Text from (Y/N): _

**_-Covered? What do you mean?_ **

****

Before you can wait for an answer from Red, there’s a knock on the door. You get up to open it but there’s no one there, just two cream colored boxes along with a small envelope at the top.

You take the two heavy boxes inside and put them on your kitchen counter while you take out the little note that read:

 

 

>  
> 
> _Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo!_
> 
> _Cinderella’s spell only lasted until midnight, but she still had the time of her life._
> 
> _Here’s a little something that will last a little longer but will have the same result._
> 
> _Yours trully,_
> 
> _Mr. Reddington_
> 
>  

You laugh at the create use of your second favorite fairytale (Sleeping Beauty’s old Disney version will forever hold the #1 place) as you start unwrapping and unveiling what’s inside the boxes until…the breath gets knocked out of your lung in one sudden gasp as you contemplate the exquisite dress that resides inside. Sapphire blue velvet with golden lining on the edges of the sleeves decorates the front of the amazing long gown with a cape that seems endless as you start pulling the dress out the box. Its so beautiful you can’t take your eyes off of it, and the fabric feels amazing in your hands, delicate yet light as a feather, almost an ethereal. The dress falls to the floor and you gasp at the complete image of it, it’s an inspiration in between a fairytale gown and a dress that a Middle Ages lady would probably wear to a fancy dinner, a crossover in between two worlds you love, history and fairytales. You then gently put the dress back into the box and proceed to open the next one; its smaller but has got a silver ribbon. You undo it and remove the lid off to find the most stunning shoes you have ever seen. Decorated completely in white rime stones with a flower at the front of the shoe, its something out of a dream and literally ‘made out of glass’.

The sound of a chime takes your mind out of the shoes; you take your phone and can’t help but smile at the messages:

_ Text from Red Ridding Hood: _

**_-Your ‘pumpkin’ carriage will pick you up at 19:30; you already got the dress and the shoes to match. I trust you can at least do your hair by yourself, this fairy God father can go so far._ **

_ Text from (Y/N): _

**_-Fairy God father? And here i was thinking the ‘Mr.Reddington’ was inspired by a far darker shade of character._ **

_ Text from Red Ridding Hood: _

**_-Careful what you ask for baby girl, you might just be give me ideas for the future._ **

Oh boy, now this was getting dangerous. One thing was to innocently exchange messages about your day to day, but now things were escalating and you were invited to a top gala with promises a ‘future something’ with the Red Hood.   True, you also let it get this far but now you weren´t so sure about where this whole thing was leading to. Still, you couldn’t get him out of your mind, the very thought of going to this gala and possibly meeting him face to face…Oh God…’meeting him face to face’…WOW holy mother of…! Ok, calm down, true you may have little experience in the department of romantically social interaction but…you’ve always wanted a guy that would sweep you off your feet (and in this case you were pretty sure he could do that and more).

Another text from him pulls you out of your thoughts:

_ Text from Red Ridding Hood: _

**_-Hey, for real now, if this is too much you don’t have to go. I don’t want to make you do anything that would make you uncomfortable._ **

**_-Still, the dress and the shoes are yours, no need to return them or anything. Take them as a token of appreciation_ **

**** _ Text from (Y/N): _

**_-No no its not that, i mean yeah the dress is stunning and the shoes, what girl doesn’t like shoes?_ **

You take a deep breath, and with all the confidence you can gather you type the next text before you start regretting this whole thing (to hell with this, you’re only gonna get one chance to attend such a party and eat the delicacies you’ve seen made in tv shows for the rich and famous):

**_-I’ll be there_ **

**_-Hope to see you too_ **

_ Text from Red Ridding Hood: _

**_-Great to hear that baby girl_ ** **_, you can count on me to make this night special for you._ **

_ Text from (Y/N): _

**_-Tell me something, since when did i give you permission to start calling me ‘baby girl’?_ **

_ Text from Red Ridding Hood: _

**_-Oh i know you love it every time i call you that, if that blush on your cheeks is any indicator._ **

‘Are you kidding me?!’ you shout while making a quick scan of the room, trying to determine from where the hell is this guy watching you from.

‘I’m gonna have to ask mom to send me some money for curtains next month’ you think with a smile as you pick up the boxes and carry them to your room to change (and maybe parade in those killer shoes for a bit) into the new gown your fairy Godfather gifted you.


	3. Breakfast at the Manor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jewelry (because every girl deserve to have bling):  
> https://www.tiffany.com/jewelry/bracelets/tiffany-victoria-mixed-cluster-bracelet-35092919?fromGrid=1&origin=browse&trackpdp=bg&fromcid=287458&trackgridpos=10
> 
> And the mask:  
> https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&q=anastasia+mask&chips=q:anastasia+mask,online_chips:lace+mask&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwif29nk0Z3eAhXEC5AKHbhSA7kQ4lYIKCgC&biw=1264&bih=761&dpr=1#imgrc=7v62YRpBupf5SM:

It’s 18:30 and in just thirty minutes, a car was supposed to pick you up for the Wayne gala and you were still dealing with your hair.  ‘Why, of all days, did you decide to try a new pintrest hairstyle names ‘Easy and chic hair does for dinner parties’ just minutes before one of the most important (and probably the last if you didn’t hurry it up) party of your life?

Fortunately your make up was already done as you had kept it simple in order to emphasis the dress and the shoes exquisiteness. The final curl was made to rest at the end of your hair, you take a step back in order to see yourself in the full bodied mirror in your room and boy oh boy…you looked and felt like one of those Tudorian princesses. The dress fitted you perfectly, accentuating your figure yet not so tight that you couldn’t breathe, and the shoes…every time you took a step the layers from the dress would give way to the crystal flower invaded at the tip and the rime stones would sparkle, making it look as if you were walking on fairy power or something.

You didn’t realize you had been staring at your reflection for a whole 10 minutes until the buzzer from your apartments front door snapped you out of it (seriously, i have to stop day dreaming).

-Who is it?

-Hello, my name is Alfred Pennyworth madam, is this the address of Miss (Y/S)?

-Yes that’s me, i’ll be right there.

Quickly, you grab your coat and bag and rush towards the elevator, hoping that none of the neighbors will come out and see you dressed like this. That would be hell to explain, and you didn’t want them to think you owned enough money to afford such a dress and still pay for the low rents of this crappy apartment.

After descending towards the lobby, you freeze at the sight of the man waiting for you at the door. Standing perfectly straight and still, a man wearing a black coat with a white shirt and a black vest with a perfectly aligned tie, waits for you to open the door. He’s looks almost exactly like one of the butlers from Downtown Abbey…

-Hello Miss (Y/S), it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.-(Gosh, he even sounds like one of them, British accent and everything)

-Oh, um…the pleasure’s all mine Mr. Pennyworth.

-Oh please, call me Alfred. Now, please do follow me, I’m afraid the traffic at this hour can be quiet tedious.

You follow ‘Alfred’ to a black BMW that’s parked right in front of your building (so much for trying to be inconspicuous), in which he holds the door open for you. Before entering though, he tells you:

-Oh! There’s a small gift inside for you as well Miss, something the Young Master wanted me to pass onto you.

-Young Master?

-Yes, perhaps you know him by a different name thought, ‘Mr. Reddington’ i presume it is.

-Oh, right, yes him. But... i cannot take anymore gifts Mr. Alfred, i mean, what im wearing is pretty much a gift from him already, and it’s already more than enough for me.

-Yes i know, after all i did help him pick out this particular look for you, and it looks stunning.

-Oh! Then i should be thank you as well for it- you say with a big bright smile.

-It’s nothing to be thankful for Miss (Y/S), in fact, it should be me that should be thanking you. The Young Master has had a lot of run in’s since he was a child I’m afraid, and life as an adult hasn’t been all that smooth either. But watching him pick out dresses from catalogues while asking for my help…well, i can’t say I’ve ever seen him so happy in his entire life.- says Alfred, while looking somewhat nostalgic yet happy.

You remain silent for a moment just watching Alfred smile silently to whatever distant memory he has conjured, until he clears his throat and says:

-Oh pardon me Miss; i lost myself in thought for a moment there. Please-he says gesturing for you to get inside the car.

-Thank you Mr. Alfred. And for what it’s worth, I understand what you’re feeling.

Alfred smiles at you as he closes the door and takes the front seat to start driving away towards the gala.

You start to make yourself comfortable in your seat when you see a Tiffany box sitting right next to you with a small envelop that reads:

 

_“Final touch for the night”_

_Think of it as the spell Cinderella’s fairy Godmother placed on her before going to the ball so that her evil stepsisters and mother didn’tt recognize her_  

 

Inside the box there are two small pouched, one of them contains a delicate silver incrusted diamond bracelet, making out to be butterflies made out of pure white diamonds wrapping around your wrist. The second one has a set of pearl earrings complemented with diamonds at the top.

-Mother of Jolly…-you cut yourself before you can make one of your childish remarks.

-Em, excuse Alfred but this is far too much.

-Miss (Y/S)…

-Please call me (Y/N)

-Miss (Y/N), as i was saying, this is just a mere gesture of gratitude. You have done so much for the Young Master this past few months, I haven’t seen him this much happy since he was a boy, though i also think he did want to complete the whole look for you to wear. I know he would be delighted to see you wear those - says Alfred with a smile.

Damn it…now you’ll feel guilty if you refuse this gifts (Man, can these people use reverse psychology on you).

 

* * *

 

 

The drive was quiet from there on until you arrive at the outskirts of Gotham, buildings and sky scrappers changed into fields and then forests of trees that seemed to go on for miles. By the time you arrived at the impressive black iron gates of the Wayne estate, it was already dark out. The moon was shinning and you could see a few stars in the sky (a rare view for Gotham indeed), the car drove for a few more minutes through a gravel street fenced by tall thin trees, all the same height. The whole estate was surrounded by a green grass field that was encircled by the forest, and in it’s center was the Wayne Mansion. ‘Versailles must have been the inspiration for this mansion’ you thought, the place was enormous, lights were coming out from the inside and various cars and limos were driving around the huge fountain in the middle of the roundabout, dropping people off and the driving away. Your face was nearly plastered to the window, in taking everything and everyone dressed in beautiful gowns and walking the stairs into what you thought might be the ballroom, until the car came to a stop.

Alfred exited the driver’s side and in a few moments he was opening your door and extending his hand for you to take.

-Miss (Y/N), please just follow the rest of the guest inside the ballroom. I must bead your farewell for now, but i will see you in a short while, until them please do enjoy yourself.

Flustered, either by the whole idea of attending this dance or because of what Alfred had said, you tell him goodbye and watch as he gets back inside the car and drives away.

‘Okay then, just breath in and try not to step on the dress or God forbid, fall with this shoes’ comes the thought to your head as you start making your way up the stone stairs.

When you finally reach the open doors of the ball, the first thing that come to you is the music…joyful, jazzy music being played by a band of instruments a the end of the room (Is that Michael Bublé on the stage?). The whole place was shinning from top to bottom by a massive chandelier made out off crystals hanging and reflecting various rainbow shades on the people, waiters were parading trays of small delicacies and tall champagne glasses in a seemingly practiced dance of their own. The guest were all gathered in small groups here and there, sitting on the round sofas sharing laughs and drinks while resting their feet.

Suddenly, one of the waiters approached you with a tray of…masks?

-Hello Madam, would you like to choose a mask?

Right, it was a ‘masquerade ball’ after all, putting up a smile you draw your attention towards the masks on display. Full faced, half and eye masks, all of them decorated with either swirls of paint or intricate designs with appliques of colored feathers attached to them were the first thing that called your eye. They were indeed beautiful but a bit to eccentric for your taste, you wanted something simpler, something that wouldn’t get in the way of your food or drink if possible.

You were about to just choose one of the ‘less’ garnish one (a black and silver eye mask with feathers coming from the corners and a peacock like one coming from its forehead) when a man behind you said:

-It’s ok, she’s already got one here-said the deep voice while pulling out a simple silver eye mask made out to look like a lace pattern and handing it to you.

You take it in your hands to feel the strings forming the swirling patterns that made the mask, it was simpler than the other yet beautiful non the less.

-Thank you I…-as you turn yourself to thank the man, your breath gets taken away by what you see. Tall, broad shouldered and sturdy, he’s dressed in a fit tuxedo suit with a bow tie, one hand extended for you to take the mask while the other is in his pocked. His posture is confident, shoulders held back and chest out, and on his face there’s a smile that contrast with this greenish-almost blue eyes that hide behind a red domino mask.

You don’t know how long you kept on staring at him, but then he lowers his face towards yours and says:

-Cat got your tongue baby girl? - he says with a laugh.

-What…? I mean, no, I eh…-you take a second to stare at him and before your mind can catch up to what your mouth is saying you blurt out:

-It’s you…

Both of you stare at each other, and for a moment, the ball room and the guest and the music just, fades away. There’s only the two of you. He stares at you with warmth in his eyes and a kind smile.

-It’s good to see you again too.–he says with a smile as he extends his hand towards you

-May I?-he asks.

At first you thought he was asking to escort you inside, but then you realize he is actually meaning for you to give him permission to put the mask on.

-Oh! Um, yeah sure.-you say, while you feel how the blood is starting to rush to your ears.

With a smile still plastered on his face, he goes behind you and grabs the two white ribbons from the mask and draws them behind your head. With your hands you adjust the mask into place and you feel it being secured with a double knot when all of a sudden, his hands fall to your bare shoulders (warm and callused as they are) and his breath just graces your ear as he whispers:

-You really do blush nicely baby girl; if you keep this up i might just have to steal you away from this place.

Startled by this responds, you try to show yourself unfazed by this as you answer:

-Is that how you seduce girls?

-Seduce girls? Oh no, no, it’s just how I talk to you. And even if i don’t do it, you’re already smitten with me, right?

‘Holly Mother of…Now you’ve done it (Y/N), try to play with fire and you got burn (literally).’

Just when you start to wish the earth can just swallow you, he appears on your side and grabs your hand to start pulling you towards the dance floor.

-Come on now, I promise this will be a night to remember.

 

* * *

 

 

You danced and danced until your feet hurt, and all the while ‘Red’ was always there with you. As the music began to slow down and the dance floor started to empty out, he suddenly lean towards your ear and said:

-Come on, there’s something i wanna show you.-he then took hold of your hand and started leading you outside.

-Wait, won’t security kick us out or something if we leave the place?

-Don’t worry about that, they know me and i know the owner won’t mind.

Boy this man was going to get you into trouble…Still, he was either lying or he genuinely knew Bruce Wayne, which at this point, would explain quite a bit.

You follow him towards one of the balconies leading to an extensive garden decorated with small light posts illuminating the path of gravel that reaches towards a big old elm tree with a stone bench at its feet.  He takes you there and you both just sit in silence for a while. The music from the ball can still be heard this far away (is that ‘Feeling Good’ playing? Man i love that song), and you listen to it until the masked man interrupts you:

-So…

-Hm?

-I guess i should start by apologizing first, huh? -he says while looking a the floor in between his feet.

-Apologize, for what?-you ask confused.

-Our first meeting was not, ideal. For starters, that night had been a bad one for me and that drove me to almost kill you.

-Ahh, well you were not the only one having a bad night that day.

-Yeah ifIi remember correctly, you had just finished a 6 hour shift or something?- he says with a bitter smile.

There’s silence again for some time where the only sound that can be heard comes from the crickets chirping in the forest.

-That night…-he starts again, only this time there’s a somber tone to it –I wasn’t in my right mind, one minute I was chasing some guy, and then the next i was surrounded by shadows, laughing at me…and each time the shadows kept growing and the laugh became even louder and creepier, i couldn’t escape them, no matter how much i ran or screamed- as he retells those first moments before your meeting, his shoulders become tense and his hands start to shake from the pressure of his closed fists.

-I couldn’t tell what was real or not, and there was nothing i could do…so i stabbed myself. Pain has always helped clear my mind off during these episodes.

Your heart throbs and the air from your lungs begins to burn you inside before you realize you’ve been holding your breath. His expression is one of hurt, mouth squeezed into a fine line and his hands are tight together on a fist, trying to contain the rage and pain his eyes try to hide.

You let him have his time to continue talking about that night, all the while extending your hand so that it’s within reach of his but not touching him.

-Then I ran, as fast as i could, I ran and ran until the laugh disappeared. Until I became tired and then I fell…and that’s where you found me.-he says now, twisting his head in order to face you.

-At first I couldn’t get my bearings right, I thought that someone was trying to be my suit off or something so I reacted. When you’ve been at this job for as long as i have, things like this tend to be automatic. But still, you kinda surprised me there, I know I deserved it, but there are few people that would stand up to me, let alone the Red Hood, yet you snapped me back into place.-he’s smiling now, not that sexy smirk, but a real smile.

-Well, if it’s any consolation, i was trying to get your suit off, but **only** because you were hurt.-you emphasis. He laughs at you for it, a carefree kinda laugh that warms your insides a bit.

-Now that’s a shame, and here i thought you just wanted to see what was underneath the mask.

-Who says i don’t? - comes the response before you can think about it. ‘Seriously, next time, pack tape on your purse’.

-I mean… not that i don’t want to see you underneath the mask, it’s just, i also wanna see you you, you know? Am i making any sense right now?

-Ha ha ha, you could say i catch your drift.-he says with a smirk and his eyes do this ‘sexy-mid-closed-eyes thingy’ that gives up chills down your spine while he closes the distance in between you two.

-I eh…It’s just,…-you try to say, as you lean away from his face in order to properly think of a coherent enough response.

-It’s just what, baby girl?-Oh how you love it when he calls you that.

-I don’t even know your name…-he is closed the distance now, your noses practically touching.

-It’s Jason…-he says, as his mouth opens and seals your lips with his. The kiss is like fire and water at the same time, igniting your insides all over again and quelling the thirst of the past few months. It begins as something slow and romantic, but as time goes by the kiss starts to pick up vigor, and soon his hands are on either side of your face, unknotting the mask and grasping your hair. Your hands do the same with his mask and that’s when the kiss breaks up, leaving the both of your panting. That’s when your breath gets caught in the way at the sight of him. There’s a pink blush that decorates his cheeks all the way up to his ears, his lips are a vibrant red that shine when he licks them and the pretty greenish-blue color of his eyes are practically swallowed by this dark pupils.

A smile appears on his face followed by a breathless laugh as he says:

-You’re really cute when you blush, you know that?

-Oh shut up, you’re no better yourself. - you say causing him to laugh.

-How about we get out of here then?- he says as he leans into your ear and whispers- I have a room upstairs where we can continue this in a more…private way.

His deep voice sends shivers down your spine at his outrageous proposal; still…it’s a tempting one non the less.

-You’re a menace, you know that?

-Yet you seem to like that about me -he counters with a smile while holding your hands together with his.

For a moment, you get lost in thought, looking at both of your hands intertwined, how his hands feel in contrast to yours his grip strong and warm, palms doubling the size of yours. His fingers are callused here and there but instead of being harsh to the touch it’s somewhat interesting to feel, it’s as if you could read a part of him, how much of a fight have this hands seen in his years that they would have become like this. You wonder how those hands might feel on your skin or caressing your face, when all of a sudden his voice speaks to you again:

-Hey, it’s ok if you don’t want to, i mean… Im sorry, i was to forward on that one.-he says with an embarrassed tone as he makes an attempt to move away from you. That’s when you decide to make your move by grabbing his face in between your hands and kissing him slow and deeply, hoping that he understands what you’re trying to say to him.

You release his lips and watch as his eyes open slowly before you answer him:

-Jason, did anyone ever tell you how cute you are when you are embarrassed and blushing? -You say to him with a smile.

-As a matter of fact, no, no ones ever told me that given the fact it is only with you that i become like this.

-Oh just shut it. -you say releasing your hands from his face when he suddenly gets a hold of your wrist in order to pull you in closer.

-Make me.

The heated look in his eyes makes your knees wobble (thank God you are seated or else that would have been embarrassing). You can feel your blush starting to creep in higher from your chest towards your face and how there’s a slight tingle at the bottom of your spine that can only be described as your typical ‘butterflies in your stomach’.

Taking a few deep breaths of his cologne, you try to pull yourself together, but every time your head is getting more and more clouded by the minute, so you finally settle for a simple:

-Just give me a minute, i think my feel are numb.- ‘Really? You went with that? Such a mood breaker, way to go (Y/N)’

-Really? Well then, i guess it can’t be helped.-says Jason while standing up and then coming towards you, and before you know it he is lifting you bridal style as if you weighted less than a feather. The surprise of his action makes you unable to suppress a squeal that causes you to blush even harder (if that were possible) and to wrap your arms around his neck in order to support yourself.

-Hmm, how I’m going to enjoy getting more of those sounds out of you.- he says into your ears. ‘God, i think im gonna combust right here and now’.

With steady feet, he starts to walk back to the Manor and through another path that leads to the sides and into what you can smell to be the kitchen.

-You are seriously not about to just walk in there with all those people working around, right? - You say concerned.

-As much as i would love to just parade you around the whole place, i don’t think i can wait that long baby girl. –and start making his way towards a staircase that seems to go into the second level of the Manor.

Few minutes later, you both find yourselves exiting a secret door into a long corridor with multiple doors closed. As you start making your way through the empty hall, a door suddenly opens and a beautiful man exist while tying back his bowtie and rearranging his messy hair. He sees you out of the corner of his eye and turns towards you and Jason with a broad smile on his face, seemingly unaware of the way in which Jason is caring you on his arms.

-Hi! You must be (Y/N), Im Dick, Jason’s brother.-says Dick with a smile while taking your hand to shake it.

-Dick…now’s not a good time-says Jason in between teeth.

-Oh come on, you’ve been practically pining for her for months now. You know? At first he was secretive and mysterious about who he was talking to almost daily and then out of the blue, he asks Alfred to make a invite to, and i quote,‘special person of mine’ and also asks if he can personally go pick her up.-says Dick, much to your growing blush and Jason’s increased breathing.

-Anyway, im glad you could come. Sorry but i gotta rush now, people are expecting me down there, but i hope we can see each other again in the morning, then you can also meet the rest of the family. Oh! And you have to try Alfred’s scrambled eggs, they are delish.

-You’re gonna get scrambled if you don’t get out of here Dick.-threatens Jason with a deep tone that gives you tingles in your spine.

Dick goes skipping down the hall towards a turn where he turns and blows a kiss with a wink to the both of you in a mock way. You can’t help but laugh at that which draws Jason’s attention towards you.

You finally manage to arrive at one of the doors where he lets you down and takes a key out of his pocket in order to open the lock. You both go inside and the minute the door clicks shut, you are pushed against the wall and Jason in looming above you, his face centimeters away.

-So, where were we last?.-he asks.

-Hmm, i believe i was gonna shut you up.-you say as you start leaning in for a kiss.

-Mmm i do wanna see you try baby girl

-Well i can always just stuff your mouth with Alfred’s ‘delish scrambled eggs’-you mock with a fake British accent.

-Oh? Does that mean you are gonna stay the night?- Jason asks with a smile as his hands start to encircle your waist.

-Depends, can you make me stay?-your hands start to go through his waist all the way towards his broad back.

-Stay until breakfast? I can try.-he says with a smirk while pulling your face up to his.

-Not just breakfast…-you say, lowering your head and taking a deep breath before facing him again - I wanna stay Jason. I don’t think i can go back to the way it was before we met, and i just…I want to stay, beside you if…if you want to, that is. - Comes the faint response.

A finger tugs your chin up until you are at eye level with Jason’s face, his eyes locking with yours.

\- I would like that, yes; i also don’t wanna go back to not knowing you. Its just…i not as good as you think, im tainted, screwed, broken, and i don’t want you to have to suffer for it.-he says lowering his gaze

-Jason look at me, ok? (*you sight) I don’t know much about you or your family or your vigilante job for that matter, but there is one thing i know for sure and that is that you are none of the things you just said. You are one of the strongest person i have ever met,true, you have your demons to deal with, but who doesn’t? And if you still see yourself broken then let me tell you that i love each and every single shattered piece of you Jason. You are beautiful, inside and out, and if you think you can just scare me away you’re too late, because you already threatened to cut my throat already and that didn’t budge me one bit.

He looks at you with his eyes wide open and laughs until tears start to appear in the corners of his eyes and he is left without breath.

-God, what did i ever deserve to meet you?.-Says Jason as the caresses your cheek.

-Everything.-you say as you lean in to shut his lips with yours. Instantly his hands go to your waist and travel all the way up your hair and bellow.

From there on, things got steamier and kinkier, until the party ended and the guest left, and then dawn came with a knock on the door followed by Alfred’s voice:

-Excuse me Master Todd, but your presence and Miss (Y/N) are being requested by Master Dick at the kitchen.

Jason’s voice comes a bit muffled through the door:

-Emm, tell Dick im to tired to get out off bed Alfred, the nightly activities have kept me up all night. I think im going to have breakfast here.

-Very well Sir. And what about Miss (Y/N)? Should i prepare something for her as well?

-Yeah sure, some tea with toast and-Ah!...S-some of your scrambled eggs please.

-I’ll have to see if Master Dick hasn’t already eaten it all himself, in such case it might take a while to get ready.

A few muffled sounds come from inside the room until a bump and a groan is heard.

-Are you ok Master Todd?

-Y-yeah, im okay. Don’t worry Alfred, take all the time you need.-comes the response followed by a pronounced moan.

-Very well them, I’ll be on my way.-says Alfred as he starts making his way back into the kitchen with a smile on his face. 


End file.
